Seal for containers



fOct. 14, 1947. 1.. L. WERTH SEAL FOR CONTAINERS Filed April 15, 1944 S R Y .mm m RE. 0 w W1 L w 0, l.- l

Patented Oct. 14, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ISEAL .FOR CONTAINERS Lloyd -L. Worth, Rochester, N. Y., assignor 'to Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application April 15, 1944, SerialNo. 531,156

3 Claims. l

The present invention relates "to containers of the telescopic section type, and more particularly to an efiective seal for such containers.

As is well known, many boxes or containers made of cardboard or similar materials are formed of two substantially identically shaped members adapted to be assembled in telescopic relation to provide a hollow container. Such an assembled container has an open seam or slit usually around the lower outer edge of the box. Such a seam will permit the passing of water or moisture to the interior of the container to damage "the contents thereof. In order to eliminate the passage of moisture ,or water into the box interior, several methods have been used for sealing or closing this scam. One such method utilizes a continuous strip of adhesively coated material arranged around the periphery of the box and overlying the seam and secured to the bottom of the innerboxmem'ber and-t the outer surface of the sides of the outer box member. Such an arrangement provides only a single seal at each corner of the box and is cumbersome to apply and is not readily adapted to automatic machine operation.

To overcome these difficulties and disadvantages, the present invention provides a seal by the application of separate strips which are secured in place and have the ends folded over. These strips cooperate to both close the seams and provide a double seal at each corner of the box, thus effectively -eliminating any possibility of the passing of water or moisture through the seam and into the box "interior, the advantages of which are obvious.

The present invention has, therefore, as its principal object the provision of a container seal which may be applied in an easy and effective manner.

A further object of the invention is the provision of such a seal which will provide a double seal at each corner of the box.

Another object of the invention is the provision of such a box seal which will lend itself to automatic machine application- Still another object of the invention is the provision of a seal which isso designed that all folded over areas are adhesive'ly secured in place to thus afiord a better seal, and to prevent the accidental displacement or detachment of such folded areas.

To these and other ends, the invention resides in certain improvements and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a bottom View of a container of the telescoping section type showing the two end strips applied andone-of the strips partly folded;

Figure 2 is aview similar to Figure 1, but with the end strips completely folded and one of the side strips applied to the bottom;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, but with the first side strip completely folded and secured in place and the second side strip applied and partially folded;

Figure 4 is a View of a portion of the container showing the relative lengths of the marginal portions which are folded;

Figure '5 is a view similar to Figure 4 but showing the overlapping marginal areas folded, illustrating the result secured by the larger outer area;

Figure 6 is a view taken substantially on line -"6--6 of Figure '2 showing how the outer tab of the outer area extends below the inner area so as to expose an adhesively coated part by which the outer area is secured in place; and

Figure "'7 is a partial sectional view through.

the box showing the relation of the telescopic box sectional members, and the relation thereto of one of the sealing strips.

Similar reference numerals throughout the Various views indicate the same parts.

The sealing means of the present invention is shown as applied to a box or container formed of cardboard or similar material to provide two members H and I2 adapted to be assembled in telescopic relation, as shown in Figure 7 and well known to those in the art. The inner member 1 I is formed with a bottom l3 and four sides l4, only one of the latter 'being shown in Figure '7. The outer member 12, on the other hand, is formed to providea top [5, sides It and ends H. The terms sides and ends are, however, merely relative depending on the sizes thereof, and both the sides [6 and ends IT may, therefore, bebroadly designated as sides. When the box members I I and 1 2 are arranged in assembled relation, the adjacent sides of the two members are slightly spaced to present an open seam or "joint [8 of the well-known type, and illustrated in Figure 7. This seam extends all around the entirep'eriphery of the box, adjacent the bottom I3, as is apparent, and affords an easy entrance for moisture or water into the interior of the box. Such a seam is particularly undesirable when the contents of the box are affected by water or moisture. In order to fullyprotect the box contents, the present invention provides a means for efiectively closing and sealing the seam It to tightly seal the assembled container.

To secure this result, a pair of 'adhesively coated tape strips 25, of paper or of similar material, are applied, shown in Figure 1, so that the portions 26 of the strips are adhesively secured to the bottom l3 adjacent the opposite sides 2! thereof. The strips 25 are then bent or folded down at right angles to provide the portions 23 which are secured to the full length of the ends I! of the outer box section I2. The strips 25 thus extend over and close the end sections of the seam 3, as is apparent from an inspection of Figures 1 and 2. The strips 25 are of a length greater than the width of the container so as to provide marginal areas or tabs 29 and 39 which project beyond both sides of the container and form projections in the portions 26 and 28 respectively, as best shown in Figure 1. These areas or tabs are positioned by first folding down the four areas 29 over the sides 16 so that the adhesive coating on the under sides of the areas 29 will serve to secure these areas to the sides I6, as partially illustrated in Figure 1. After the areas 29 have been folded down and secured, the areas 30 are then folded in overlapping relation over the previously folded areas 29, as shown in Figures 2 and 5. The areas 29 and 30 of each pair are thus folded in overlapping relation, the areas '29 being the inner member and the areas 30 being the outer member of each pair. The areas 29 preferably have a length (A), see Figures 4 and 5. It will now be apparent from an inspection of these figures that if the folded down portions of the strips 25 were of a width equal to A, the vertical height of the folded areas 30 would be equal to that of the areas 29, and the bottom edges 3| and 32 of the areas 29 and 30 respectively would be in alignment. With such an arrangement, the folding of the areas 29 would cause the areas 39 to be folded along a line extending from the corner 33 to the corner 34 to fold the areas 39 substantially in half. Such' folding would cause the folded over portions of the areas 33' to cover up the adhesive coating of said areas so that when the areas 30 are subsequently folded in overlapping relation over the areas 29 there would be no means of securing the areas 30 in place. Obviously, a spot of adhesive or glue could, of course, be applied to the outer surfaces of the bent down area 29 but this would necessitate an added operation.

In order to overcome this disadvantage, the portion 28 of each strip 25 is preferably made of a width (B) which is larger than the dimension A, as best shown in Figure 5. Now when the areas 29 and 30 are folded they will appear as shown in Figure with the lower edge 32 of the area 30 extending below the lower edge 3! of the area 29 to provide a small exposed adhesively coated tab 35 on the area 39, as best illustrated in Figure 6. This tab 35 thus provides a means of positively securing the area 39 to the sides I6, thus eliminating the necessity of additionally gluing, the advantages of which are obvious.

After the strips '25 have been applied and folded as above described, to close and seal the end of the seam 18, two similar but slightly longer adhesively coated tape strips 49 are applied, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, so that the portions 4| of the strips 49 are adhesively secured to the bottom 13 adjacent the opposite side 42 thereof. Each strip 40 is then bent or folded down at right angles to provide a portion 43 which is adhesively secured to one of the opposite sides l6, as illustrated in Figure 3. The strips 40 thus extend over and close the side portions of the seam l8, .and cooperate with the strips 25 to provide a complete closure for the seam. The strips 40 are of a length greater than the sides I6 so as to provide areas or tabs 44 and 45, which project beyond the ends ll and form extensions of the portions 4| and 43 respectively, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. The areas 44 are first folded down over the ends l1, and the areas 45 are then folded to overlie the inner areas 44 in the same manner as described in connection with the areas 29 and 30. Also, the areas 45 are longer than the areas 44 for the reason stated above in connection with the areas 29 and 39. By means of this arrangement, the areas 44 and 45 are also arranged in overlapping relation by the end walls 44 and are each adhesively and positively secured to said end walls l1.

By applying the strips 25 and completely folding and securing the areas 29 and 30, and then applying the strips 49 and folding and securing the areas 44 and 45. a double seal is provided at each corner of the container with the use of the minimum amount of adhesively coated tape. Furthermore, the above-described sealing means is admirably adapted to automatic machine operation, the advantages of which are obvious. In addition, this type of closure is of particular value when the sealed packages are subsequently dipped in wax or other liquid for waterproofing purposes.

While one embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it is to be understood that the inventive idea may be carried out in a number of ways. This application is, therefore, not to be limited to the precise details described, but is intended to cover all variations and modifications thereof falling within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a container, the combination with a pair of hollow box members adapted to be arranged in telescoping relation to provide an inner and an outer box section and having an open seam between said sections, of a strip of adhesively coated material overlying said seam and having a portion secured to one side of said inner section and another portion secured to one side of said outer section, and a pair of marginal areas projecting from each end of said strip and in alignment with said portions, said pairs of areas being adapted to be folded in overlapping relation on opposite sides of said outer section normal to the side thereof to which said other portion is secured, the outer of said areas of each pair being of a length greater than the inner area of each pair so that when said pairs are folded in overlapping relation an adhesively coated portion of each outer area will be exposed for securing the outer area to one of said opposite sides.

2. In a container, the combination with an inner box member formed with a bottom and connected sides and arranged to be inserted in telescoping relation with an outer box member having a top and connected sides, said container when in assembled relation having a peripheral seam formed between said sides of said members; of a pair of adhesively coated strips having portions thereof secured to said bottom adjacent opposite edges thereof to overlie and close certain sections of said seam, said strips also having portions bent normal to said first portions to overlie and to be secured to the full length of opposite sides of said outer member; pairs of marginal areas projecting laterally from each end of each of said strips in alignment with said portions and arranged to be folded in overlapping relation on other opposite sides of said outer section normal to the side to which said second portion is secured, the outer of each pair of areas being of a length greater than the inner of each pair so that when said pairs are folded an adhesively coated section of each outer area will be exposed for securing each outer area to one of said opposite sides, a second pair of adhesively coated strips having parts thereof secured to saidbottom adjacent opposite edges normal to said first edges to overlie and close the remaining sections of said seams, said second strips also having parts bent normal to said first parts to overlie and to be secured to the full length of said other opposite sides of said outer section, pairs of marginal areas projecting laterally from each end of each of said second strips in alignment with said parts and arranged to be folded in overlapping relation on said first mentioned opposite sides of said outer section, the outer of each said second pairs of said areas having a length greater than the cooperating inner area so that when each of said second pairs of areas are folded the outer areas thereof will have an adhesively coated area exposed for securing the last mentioned outer areas to said first mentioned opposite sides, said pairs of areas cooperating to afford a double seal at each corner of said container adjacent said seam.

3. A seal for use with a hollow container formed with a plurality of connected sides and having an open seam between a pair of normally positioned sides, comprising, in combination, a strip of adhesively coated material overlying said seam and having portions secured to said pair of sides, and a pair of marginal areas projecting from the ends of said strip and in alignment with said portions, said pair of areas being adapted to be folded in overlapping relation on opposite sides of said container, the outer of said areas of each pair being of a length greater than the inner area of each pair so that when said pairs are folded in overlapping relation an adhesively coated portion of each outer area will be exposed for securing said each outer area to one or said opposite sides.

LLOYD L. WERTH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Oct. 30. 1913 Number Number 

